What type of transmission do the W124 have?

Stelios Lkop

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So i recently bought a Mercedes 240D. The owner said that he swapped the old iron-case 4 speed transmission to a W124 5 speed transmission. Does anyone know whether the transmission is Iron-case or Aluminum-case?

Its a manual
 
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LostKiwi

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Hi and welcome.
2 seconds under the car will tell you what it has.
 
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Stelios Lkop

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Hi and welcome.
2 seconds under the car will tell you what it has.
Is there something written that tells you if its iron-case or Aluminum case?
 
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Stelios Lkop

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And inside it will tell you if it is manual or auto .
Bro, i just want to know whether its iron-case or Aluminum case not auto or manual. The tranny is manual btw
 

RhodieBill

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To me they look very much like an Aluminium Alloy.

Although WHY you would want a Manual I don't know! Merc Manual Gearboxes are some of the worst known to man! In fact the older 4 Speed was about the best of the bunch presuming it was in a W123.....
 
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Stelios Lkop

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To me they look very much like an Aluminium Alloy.

Although WHY you would want a Manual I don't know! Merc Manual Gearboxes are some of the worst known to man! In fact the older 4 Speed was about the best of the bunch presuming it was in a W123.....
Why i prefer manual trans:
1) Its more fun to drive
2) Its much more simple to repair by myself
3) Its cheaper to repair
4) Its much more reliable
5) It allows for engine braking which saves my brake pads

People who own W124 vehicles are very satisfied. Their transmissions have over 400.000 Kilometers without any major repairs (except clutch replacements)
 

RhodieBill

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Why i prefer manual trans:
1) Its more fun to drive
2) Its much more simple to repair by myself
3) Its cheaper to repair
4) Its much more reliable
5) It allows for engine braking which saves my brake pads

People who own W124 vehicles are very satisfied. Their transmissions have over 400.000 Kilometers without any major repairs (except clutch replacements)

1) It's more fun to drive - I'm sorry but I cannot imagine a 240D of that vintage being "fun to drive" under any circumstances.
2) It's much more simple to repair by myself - If so "reliable" why would you be concerned about repair costs.
3) It's cheaper to repair - See #2 above.
4) It's much more reliable - Autos are just as reliable if maintained correctly.
5) It allows for engine braking which saves my brake pads - Negligible savings in real terms.
 

LostKiwi

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Can't understand why you want to know (or don't just look underneath) but looks aluminium to me.
img_0951.jpg
(That's a 124 5 speed)

Auto are also very reliable - especially of that vintage. Best of all no clutches to replace needing major removal work.
Very happy with my 722.3 gearbox in my V8 r129 SL.
 
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Stelios Lkop

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1) It's more fun to drive - I'm sorry but I cannot imagine a 240D of that vintage being "fun to drive" under any circumstances.
2) It's much more simple to repair by myself - If so "reliable" why would you be concerned about repair costs.
3) It's cheaper to repair - See #2 above.
4) It's much more reliable - Autos are just as reliable if maintained correctly.
5) It allows for engine braking which saves my brake pads - Negligible savings in real terms.
1) Yes its more fun to drive. I feel engaged with the vehicle.
2-3)Yes it is reliable. All of my cars are before 2000. They've got more than 500.000Km. The only thing that needs to be changed is the clutch which is super cheap. It costs like 100 euros. My main car is a mitsubishi L300. It has 580.000 Km. I changed the clutch at 420.000 Km. Replacing the clutch is super easy.
4)An auto trans can last 400.000 Km, but its not rare for things to go wrong. Rebuilding an auto trans by yourself is a pain in the ass and parts are expensive. Also 400.000 Km is not that great. My dad has 470.000 Km on his manual trans. He has never replaced the clutch. If you are a bad driver then you are gonna fry the clutch very soon. Im making this up. Its a fact that manual transmissions last much longer.(There are always exceptions though. But still, rebuilding a manual trans is cheaper and far easier than an automatic)
5)Engine braking REALLY saves your brakes. You can't use engine braking when you want to stop at a traffic light or stop fast. Engine braking is used to slow the car down when going downhill or taking a turn. I put it in 3rd gear and the engine brakes the car. Believe it or not, it expands the life of the brake pads by a lot.

But this post is not about how reliable manual and automatic transmissions are

(Btw i've driven an automatic Mercedes 300D. Its really slow on acceleration. The manual is faster)
 


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